IL COVID-19 Update #145

1. Gov. Pritzker announces a Stay-at-Home Advisory

2. Gov. Pritzker announces Tier 3 Mitigation to start 12:01 am this FRIDAY

3. IRMA Press Release

GOVERNOR PRITZKER ANNOUNCES TIER 3 MITIGATION

The following Tier 3 Mitigation will take place 12:01 am this FRIDAY. It includes the following:

Retail

• All retail except for full-service grocery stores and stand-alone pharmacies will decrease capacity to 25%
• Stand-alone pharmacies will remain at 50%
• Full-service grocery stores will stay at a capacity of 50%

Bars and Restaurant

• All bars and restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
• No indoor service
• All bar and restaurant patrons should be seated at tables outside
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
• Tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• No dancing or standing indoors
• No tables exceeding 6 people
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table
• Indoor gaming terminals must suspend operations
• Includes private clubs and country clubs
• Drive thrus and delivery are not impacted by the “curfew” and shall remain operating

Health Clubs

• All health clubs will decrease capacity to 25%
• Face coverings must be worn at all times
• No indoor group fitness classes
• Locker rooms must close
• Team sports are not allowed
• Massages only allowed if accompanied with a note from a doctor but appointments must be spaced by a minimum of 15 minutes and facilities should take steps to sanitize and circulate clean air through service rooms before and after each service
• Salon services allowed, but no services that require the removal of the face covering
• Reservations are required

Salons/Spas

• All salons/spas will decrease capacity to 25% or 25 clients
• Services that require the removal of the face covering are not allowed
• Face coverings must be worn at all times by clients and service providers

Indoor recreation, theaters, cultural institutions (e.g. casinos, bowling, arcades, movie theaters, museums and zoos)

• Gaming and casinos close
• Indoor recreation centers, including theaters, performing arts centers and indoor museums and amusement centers, close
• Live streaming of performances encouraged with social distancing of performers and minimum operational staff
• Outdoor activities allowed at 25% capacity or less
• Outdoor group activities limited to 10 persons or less, participants/guests must wear face coverings at all times
• Reservations required for each guest for outdoor activities

Meetings, social events and gatherings (including weddings, potlucks, etc.)…

• Limit in home gatherings to household members
• Meeting rooms, banquet centers, private party rooms, private clubs and country clubs may not host gatherings
• No party buses
• Funerals are limited to 10 family members of the decedents, not including staff

Office

• All employees who can work remotely should work remotely

Hotels

• Hotel room occupancy should be limited to registered guests only, with the maximum allowance being the number of individuals permissible per existing fire code for each applicable guest room
• Fitness centers should be closed, or operated only on a reservation model with capacity limited to 25% of the maximum occupancy for the room
• Grab and go food allowed
• Event and meeting space closed

Manufacturing

• Additional COVID training for all employees required even if previous training occurred
• Operators should coordinate with IDPH to implement testing protocols and contact tracing, upon request, consistent with available testing supplies
• All employees must wear face coverings at all times unless eating or drinking. Exemptions only for safety purposes.
• Only manufacturing staff and key personnel allowed in facilities. Non-production employees must work remotely. Non-essential staff and visitors are not permitted. Exemptions only for critical equipment repairs, supply deliveries and safety reasons (“critical visitors”).
• All critical visitors must have an Employee Health and Safety (EHS)-approved risk-assessment done in advance, including travel history, tracking, and temperature check prior to entrance.
• Implement additional workstation realignment when feasible
• Stagger and space shifts, and designate shift entrances and exits (when possible) to minimize interactions of employees across unique shift groupings
• Station sanitation required at beginning and ending of shifts
• Operators must suspend COVID-related incentive pay and promote staying home when sick or showing symptoms
• Implement temporary leave policies to accommodate workers who are sick
• Develop and implement safety protocols for employee travel vans to promote spacing, require face coverings, temperature checks, air circulation, and vehicle sanitization

You may find the Tier 3 Mitigation HERE.

The occupancy limits will be based on the four corners of the building. Employees and vendors will not be counted towards the limits.

IRMA PRESS RELEASE

IRMA issued the following press release:

Retailers Respond to Governor’s Statewide Tier 3 Mitigations 

“The Tier 3 mitigations announced today by Gov. J.B. Pritzker strikes the right balance between allowing access to retail services and the need to adjust safety measures in response to the latest science about how to address this virus. While additional capacity restrictions will impose significant hardship on retailers already devastated by the pandemic – especially during what is usually the busiest shopping time of the year – we are glad customers will continue to have numerous safe shopping options,” said IRMA President and CEO Rob Karr. “It is our hope the same science that provides for safe shopping can soon be applied to restaurants and bars so they can again allow inside dining, albeit at a reduced capacity. Finally, we look forward to the support of the Pritzker Administration and legislators in ensuring the beleaguered retail sector is best positioned to regain full strength. As the second largest revenue generator for the state and the largest for local governments, without a fully revived retail sector, Illinois faces a more dire future.”

You may find the full release HERE.

GOV. PRITZKER ANNOUNCES A STATE STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY

The Governor encouraged the public to do the following: (this is not a mandate at this point):

Work from Home if Possible

For the next three weeks, work with your employer to plan to work from home unless it is necessary for you to be in the workplace. We ask employers to make accommodation for this. Our goal is to reduce transmission as we head into the holidays so businesses and schools can remain open.

Participate in Essential Activities Only

For the next three weeks, stay home as much as possible, leaving only for necessary and essential activities, such as work that must be performed outside the home, COVID-19 testing, visiting the pharmacy, and buying groceries.

Limit Travel and Gatherings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health experts tell us that gatherings and travel in and out of communities present a high risk of spreading the infection. In our current situation, with a rising prevalence of the virus, attending even small gatherings that mix households, or traveling to areas that are experiencing high rates of positivity, is not advised and is potentially dangerous. Please, travel only if necessary.

These suggestions are not a mandate at this point. We expect this to change later this week.

As you are aware from IRMA’s last notice, the Administration will now use the following metrics to determine whether or not a region is moving forward or backward.

1. Sustained increase in 7-day rolling average (7 out of 10-days) in the positivity rate and ONE of the following severity indicators:

·     Sustained 7-day increase in hospital admissions for a COVID-19 like illness;

·     Reduction in hospital capacity threatening surge capabilities (ICU capacity or medical/surgical beds < 20%)

OR

2. Three consecutive days averaging ≥ 8% positivity rate